1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to cooling systems and more particularly pertains to a new evaporative cooler solar retrofit kit for taking an evaporative cooler off of an electrical power grid, thus reducing the amount of electrical power supplied by such a grid and reducing the cost of operating such a cooler.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of cooling systems is known in the prior art. More specifically, cooling systems heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
Known prior art cooling systems include U.S. Pat. No. 5,046,329; U.S. Pat. No. 4,222,244; U.S. Pat. No. 4,376,435; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,739,620. In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 4,433,544 discloses a solar powered energy producing device.
Evaporative coolers themselves are well known. Such coolers operate by drawing air across water soaked pads and the process, drop the temperature of the resulting air-water vapor mixture. They have been developed and used to a high degree in the Southwest of the United States since they are much less expensive when compared with conventional space air conditioners. Evaporative coolers generally consist of a cube shaped housing with a blower inside the housing. The housing includes louver type openings which allow air to pass inside the housing when the blower is operated. Adjacent the louver openings, and inside the housing, are pads, which in use, are soaked with water. A water cooling system is provided inside the housing for soaking the pads, and for gathering and circulating the water within the water cooling system. A water pump, which is powered by electricity from an existing household line, is used to circulate the water. The motor for driving the blower is also powered from electricity from the same line.
Additionally, evaporative coolers generally divide into two main groups, a side-draft type and a down-draft type. In a side-draft evaporative cooler, the duct directing air from the housing extends through one of the side walls of the housing, while in a down-draft type, the duct extends downward through the bottom of the housing. Further details on the structure and operation of evaporative coolers can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,042,270, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose a new evaporative cooler solar retrofit kit. The inventive device includes a solar panel which is mountable on the housing of the evaporative cooler, a dc motor for replacing the existing blower motor, and a dc motor driven pump for replacing the existing pump motor and pump. The solar panel is electrically coupled to the dc motor and to the dc motor driven pump, such that the electricity generated by the solar panel provides the electricity for operating the evaporative cooler. Therefore, the cooler utilizes energy provided by sunlight, which reduces the use of commercially supplied energy. The cooler will operate from sunrise to sunset when air cooling is most required.
In these respects, the evaporative cooler solar retrofit kit according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of taking an evaporative cooler off of an electrical power grid, thus reducing the amount of electrical power supplied by such a grid, and reducing the cost of operating such a cooler.